Performance-Based Seismic Evaluation of Local Staggered RC Frames with Steel Tube-Reinforced Concrete Columns Under Multi-Angle Earthquakes

Abstract

Staggered floor frame structures with good spatial adaptability are widely used in large-space civil buildings such as conference halls and terminal buildings. However, the short columns formed by staggered floor slabs significantly affect load transfer, which is unfavorable to the seismic performance of the structure. To address this issue, based on a practical project, this paper establishes a finite element analysis model, sets up steel-tube-reinforced concrete (ST-RC) columns at staggered floors to improve the insufficient ductility of short columns, and adopts the dynamic time–history analysis method combined with performance-based evaluation methods to study the effects of different seismic input angles (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°) on the seismic performance of local staggered floor frame structures at both the overall and member levels. The research results show that at the overall level, the fourth floor of the staggered floor frame structure is the weak floor, and the most unfavorable seismic input angle is 60°; additionally, at the member level, the damage of each member meets the performance objectives. Frame beams are more severely damaged under 0° and 90° seismic input, frame columns are more severely damaged under 30° and 60° seismic input, and the damage degree of ST-RC columns is similar in the four directions. As energy-dissipating members, frame beams have a significantly higher proportion of nonlinear strain energy than frame columns and ST-RC columns, which can effectively consume a large amount of seismic energy and enable the structure to retain more safety reserves. Therefore, for irregular buildings such as staggered floor frame structures that are prone to damage due to insufficient ductility of short columns, setting ST-RC columns at staggered floors can effectively reduce structural damage. The adoption of evaluation methods at both the overall structural and member levels enables a comprehensive understanding of the damage status of staggered floor structures.